A portable blower-vacuum device can be converted between a blowing mode or vacuum mode. Convertible blower-vacuum devices are widely used by homeowners and grounds keepers to keep outdoor areas clear of leaves, grass clippings and debris.
A conventional blower-vacuum device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,823 comprises a vacuum nozzle and a blower nozzle extending in parallel to each other and connected to a main body housing a fan and a motor. The main body is provided with a dust bag. In the vacuum mode, air is directly sucked from the vacuum nozzle and introduced into the dust bag by the rotation of the fan. In the blower mode, the air is similarly sucked from the vacuum nozzle and is directed towards the blower nozzle. The blower nozzle is tapered such that its diameter is gradually reduced towards the blower port in order to increase air velocity blowing through the blower nozzle. The vacuum nozzle has a constant diameter along its length.
Another blower-vacuum device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,813. The blower-vacuum device includes a fan, a main body and a single nozzle. The main body is formed with a vacuum pathway upstream from the fan and a blower pathway downstream from the fan with respect to the flow of air. The main body is formed with an attachment hole in fluid communication with both the vacuum pathway and the blower pathway. The attachment hole supports the nozzle rotationally between a vacuum mode orientation and a blower mode orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,607 discloses a lightweight portable vacuum cleaner and attachment nozzle which may be readily carried by an operator to vacuum both normally accessible and normally inaccessible areas. The vacuum cleaner comprises an elbow-shaped plastic housing which encloses a filter bag and blower motor. The vacuum is carried under the arm of the operator supported from a strap that goes over the operator's shoulder.
The aforementioned blower-vacuum devices are all provided with a straight vacuum nozzle having a length consistent with safety standards. This means that the vacuum nozzle or the blower/vacuum nozzle generally have a lengthy configuration. However the elongate nozzle leads to blower-vacuum device with a discordant design which makes it difficult to hold with only one handle when the operator converts it between the vacuum mode and the blower mode.